वाल्मीकि-रामायणम् vālmīki-rāmāyaṇam - book-5, chapter-53, verse-9

किमग्नौ निपताम्यद्य आहोस्विद्वडवामुखे ।
शरीरमाहो सत्त्वानां दद्मि सागरवासिनाम् ॥९॥

9. kimagnau nipatāmyadya āhosvidvaḍavāmukhe ,
śarīramāho sattvānāṃ dadmi sāgaravāsinām.

9. kim agnau nipatāmi adya āhosvit vaḍavāmukhe
śarīram āho sattvānām dadmi sāgaravāsinām

9. kim adya agnau nipatāmi āhosvit vaḍavāmukhe
āho sāgaravāsinām sattvānām śarīram dadmi

9. Should I plunge into a fire today, or perhaps into the submarine fire (vaḍavāmukha)? Or should I offer my body to the creatures dwelling in the ocean?

Words meanings summery:

• किम् (kim) - what?, why?, interrogative particle

• अग्नौ (agnau) - in/into the fire

• निपतामि (nipatāmi) - shall I fall, I fall down

• अद्य (adya) - today, now

• आहोस्वित् (āhosvit) - or else, or whether, or on the other hand

• वडवामुखे (vaḍavāmukhe) - into the submarine fire, in the mouth of a mare

• शरीरम् (śarīram) - body

• आहो (āho) - or, or else, ah!

• सत्त्वानाम् (sattvānām) - of beings, of creatures

• दद्मि (dadmi) - I give, shall I give

• सागरवासिनाम् (sāgaravāsinām) - of the ocean-dwellers, to those dwelling in the ocean

Words meanings and morphology

किम् (kim) - what?, why?, interrogative particle

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here as an interrogative particle, implying 'should I?'.

अग्नौ (agnau) - in/into the fire

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, Agni (god of fire)

Root: ag

Note: 'Into the fire'.

निपतामि (nipatāmi) - shall I fall, I fall down

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of ni-pat

Present tense, active voice.

From root `√pat` (to fall) with prefix `ni-`.

Prefix: ni

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Implies a future or deliberative action.

अद्य (adya) - today, now

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb of time.

आहोस्वित् (āhosvit) - or else, or whether, or on the other hand

(indeclinable)

Compound of `āho` (or) + `svit` (interrogative particle).

Note: Used to introduce an alternative question.

वडवामुखे (vaḍavāmukhe) - into the submarine fire, in the mouth of a mare

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vaḍavāmukha

vaḍavāmukha - mouth of a mare; submarine fire (often personified as consuming ocean waters)

Tatpurusha compound.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vaḍavā+mukha)

• vaḍavā – mare
  noun (feminine)
• mukha – mouth, face, opening
  noun (neuter)

Note: 'Into the submarine fire'.

शरीरम् (śarīram) - body

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śarīra

śarīra - body

Root: śrī

Note: Direct object of `dadmi`.

आहो (āho) - or, or else, ah!

(indeclinable)

Interrogative/exclamatory particle.

Note: Used to introduce another alternative.

सत्त्वानाम् (sattvānām) - of beings, of creatures

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of sattva

sattva - being, creature, essence, reality, goodness, strength

From root `√as` (to be) with suffix `tva`.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Genitive plural, used with a dative sense ('to the beings') with `dadmi`.

दद्मि (dadmi) - I give, shall I give

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of dā

Present tense, active voice.

From root `√dā` (to give).

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Implies a future or deliberative action.

सागरवासिनाम् (sāgaravāsinām) - of the ocean-dwellers, to those dwelling in the ocean

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sāgaravāsin

sāgaravāsin - ocean-dweller, inhabitant of the ocean

Compound noun `sāgara` + `vāsin` (from `√vas`, to dwell).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sāgara+vāsin)

• sāgara – ocean, sea
  noun (masculine)
• vāsin – dweller, inhabitant
  adjective/noun (masculine)
  Agentive Noun
  Derived from `√vas` (to dwell) with agent suffix `in`.
  Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Genitive plural, describing `sattvānām`. Dative sense 'to the ocean-dwellers'.

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